Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: The Elf Who Wants to Be Insulted
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*Knock knock.*
A knock echoed through the room just as I was grinning wickedly to myself. I cleared my throat to regain my usual composure before speaking.
“Come in.”
The door opened immediately, and an elderly man of neat appearance entered. He had once served my father, but now attended to me—the head butler Harvid, whom I trusted personally.
Harvid offered a gentle smile and bowed elegantly upon seeing me.
“Did you cough, my lord? You seem to have risen earlier than usual today.”
It wasn’t that I’d risen early. I simply hadn’t slept.
“I had a nightmare last night. But what brings the head butler to my study? Isn’t it time for you to be overseeing the staff?”
A flicker of guilt twisted Harvid’s smiling face. Something felt off about the atmosphere.
“Well... I witnessed an outrageously blasphemous act early this morning, so after seeing to our guest, I came straight here. I felt it necessary to report to you, my lord.”
“Our guest? More importantly, a blasphemous act?”
“I’m truly sorry to say... it seems someone urinated on the statue of the late Family Head.”
“...What?”
My eyes widened against my will, and my breath caught in my throat.
What the hell? How did he know? Did someone tell him? Was there a witness yesterday?
“It’s only natural you’d be shocked. But there’s one small mercy: we discovered this deranged act early. If I hadn’t noticed the grass at the statue’s base, the culprit might have kept at it.”
“...There were traces of urine on the grass at the statue’s base?”
“Yes. I confirmed it myself.”
No witness, then. What a relief.
I patted my chest and regained my composure.
“So, how would you have me handle this, Harvid?”
“With the culprit clearly among the staff, it’s best to root them out, punish severely, and eradicate the problem entirely.”
“Among the staff? How can you be sure? Couldn’t it have been an animal?”
“Pardon? You yourself ordered no animals kept in the estate, my lord, out of concern for the dignity of the house. Since then, we haven’t even kept birds.”
Damn it. Why the hell did I say that...!
My legs trembled, and my fingers went limp. So this was what a blank mind felt like. Not pleasant at all.
But I was born into a noble house of renown, trained in every art of survival. I couldn’t falter here.
“You’re not wrong.”
Think. Harvid had noticed the urine on the statue, but no one saw who did it, right? No need to invite unnecessary suspicion by telling him not to investigate.
No matter how much he grilled the staff, he wouldn’t find the culprit. Yeah. Time to act like my usual self.
“We can’t leave filth like that on Father’s statue. I’ll delegate some of my authority to you, Harvid. Spare no effort in hunting down the perpetrator.”
“Yes. For the honor of both the late Family Head and yourself, I’ll catch them no matter what.”
No, don’t catch them! It’s me! I had the elf do it...!
Calm down. There’s no way I’ll get caught.
“See to it in my stead. And this.”
I held out a letter. Harvid stepped closer and accepted it politely.
“Send this out. It’s urgent—entrust it to the witch’s express service.”
“The witch’s daily courier? Understood.”
Harvid pocketed the letter and took two steps back.
As he did, something seemed to occur to him, and he spoke up.
“Ah, that reminds me—I forgot to mention who the guest was.”
Right, the guest.
“Who was it?”
“Lady Ecilie, second daughter of the Felgaroin Earl family.”
“Ecilie?”
Ecilie was the precious connection arranged by the Earl himself—my fiancée.
She had a gentle temperament, refined features, and bestowed kindness without hesitation, earning her the nickname of a saint in some circles.
I held Ecilie in boundless affection. She was sharp-minded enough that I could envision building a family with her someday.
Pleased, I rose from my seat with a warm smile.
“I’ve kept her waiting—my apologies. You handled the reception well, I trust?”
“Yes. I ordered the finest refreshments served and had the servants attend her. Though Lady Ecilie...”
“Though?”
“She took a liking to the elf slave, so the elf is attending her now instead of the servants.”
...What?
My thoughts ground to a halt. Why? Why of all things did it have to be the elf attending her?
Her kindness to everyone was certainly praiseworthy, but not to the elf. That vile demon saw every act of goodwill toward her as an insult—she was utterly deranged.
Kindness was poison to the elf. And if, by some slim chance, the elf grew irritated by Ecilie’s persistent gentleness...
“She’ll die.”
“Pardon?”
“She’ll die...!”
Sweating coldly and trembling, I watched Harvid give an awkward smile.
“You’re joking too much, my lord. You know Lady Ecilie isn’t one to mistreat slaves. Enough of such nonsense—why not join her for tea yourself?”
Damn it! Shut up if you don’t understand! One wrong move, and it won’t be a tea party—it’ll be a corpse party! Corpses will pile up, you naive fool!
*Ahem.*
I wanted to shout, but Harvid wouldn’t believe me. Hell, even I wouldn’t. An elf slave I bought turning out to be a grand archmage-level powerhouse? Absurd.
The fact that she was 250 years old was a secret only I knew in the estate, making it even more so.
My throat itched to tell him, but informing the staff would only cause chaos. Besides, the elf wouldn’t let me off easy...
“Let’s head to the drawing room.”
As expected. To avert the worst, I’d have to intervene with the elf personally.
Was this how a swordsman felt stepping into the arena? I screamed inwardly as I left the room.
Bringing the elf into the estate was undoubtedly my karma.
Whether it was true evil or just deserts, I wouldn’t blame others.
After all, deciding to buy an elf slave had been driven by my bloated lust and a shred of reason at the time.
Even so, I couldn’t forgive innocents suffering because of her.
Taking responsibility for all problems arising from me—that was the duty and obligation of a noble.
“Lord Theorad, head of the Theorad Viscountcy, enters!”
A servant announced me loudly to lend some gravitas as he opened the drawing room door.
Staring straight ahead, tense, I peered inside and let out a sigh of relief at the scene.
*Nothing happened.*
For someone like me, who’d imagined the most embarrassingly dire scenarios, seeing Ecilie chatting amicably with the elf was a huge relief.
*And you’re beautiful as ever today.*
Her long golden hair cascaded like gold leaf in the sunlight, and her sapphire eyes held the beauty of a clear sea.
If other women were mere beach pebbles, you, Ecilie, were a brilliantly shining gem.
With a personality as gracious and vast as the ocean, how could I not adore you?
Smiling warmly, I stepped forward, then raised a hand to stop Harvid from following.
“I’d like to speak with her alone.”
“Understood. I’ll restrict the servants’ access.”
Harvid backed away and closed the drawing room door.
I desperately wished he’d shoo out the elf too, but slaves were treated as property, not people, so I couldn’t complain.
“Ah, Lord Theorad!”
Ecilie beamed and waved as I approached. It broke etiquette, but with no one watching, what did it matter? I smiled and waved back.
“It’s been a while, Lady Ecilie.”
She blushed and grinned broadly. We’d met just two weeks ago—could she really be this happy?
Maintaining my poise, I pulled out a chair and sat across from her. The elf standing beside Ecilie—dressed in a maid outfit, courtesy of Harvid—naturally turned her gaze to me.
If I had to sum up that gaze in one word, it was *displeased*.
*Damn it.*
I get it, so just hold on a bit, elf. Once I send Ecilie on her way, I’ll give you all the abuse play you crave.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. I hope you weren’t too bored without me?”
As I spoke, Ecilie glanced at the elf and smiled happily.
“Not at all. I lost track of time seeing an elf—like something out of a fairy tale.”
“Ah, is this your first time seeing an elf, my lady?”
“Of course. Elves are so rare, among the scarcest of all races, and they rule the great forest’s upper echelons. They rarely venture even a step beyond the depths, so you can’t meet them even if you want to.”
True enough. Unless slave hunters stumbled upon a lost one and dragged it out, you wouldn’t see them. The elf in my estate had come deliberately, though.
“Captured as a slave, she must be quite young. Elves can toy with slave hunters like children once they hit a hundred.”
“Uh, well.”
Ecilie knew that too—something I hadn’t. Was she that well-read, or was I that ignorant?
Probably both. Admitting my own ignorance, I nodded.
“Indeed. Her age is... around twenty-five, you could say.”
“Twenty-five? Oh my. I spoke casually thinking she was younger, but she’s actually my elder by three years. Ahh, to become a slave in the flower of youth—what a tragic fate.”
Ecilie looked at the elf with pity. Veins bulged on the elf’s forehead in a grid pattern.
She kept a straight face, but an unpleasant aura emanated around her.
If Ecilie kept fawning over the elf like this, she’d die...! Sensing the danger, I swiftly changed the subject.